[AtheK]

Originally Posted by sbanerjee

Got a question, why don't I see bikers use those? Agree, not functional as these Royal Enfield jackets, but I find the riding jackets I am talking about are extremely classy.

Because as a rider if I am going to wear leather, I would rather go all out and wear leather with full protection. A leather jacket maybe casually can be worn by people during winters for small runs, specially up north, but not a practical use down south.

[neil.jericho]

Thanks for all your kind words, gentlemen. While contemplating whether I should get a leather jacket or not, I realized the information on these particular products was really limited. Had it not been for kind TBHPian deepfreak15, I would not have had enough information to make the decision. I hope these posts will prove to be helpful to others who are considering (or havent yet considered ), a similar purchase.

Meanwhile, I did a 90 kilometer ride yesterday afternoon. It was a mix of coastal roads, highways, city traffic and what not. I still havent faced any issues with the lack of air circulation or sweating. Yes, my Revit Eclipse would have provided far more ventilation but I didnt miss it even once during yesterday's ride. I should do the loop at a similar time with the Revit Eclipse, to see the difference.

Overall rating on the Royal Enfield leather jacket - two thumbs up.

Originally Posted by GTO

I'm a big fan of Royal Enfield's merchandise. Have bought a few things myself, including cargo pants that are 4 years old and still look great. Among all the OEMs, Royal Enfield is doing the best job with their merchandising & attire. Even their stores are so well-designed, it's a pleasure to just spend time in there checking out all the new stuff.

Sharing a related picture. That's me on Saturday night in a sexy Tata Motors "dark edition" leather jacket:

Thanks GTO. I agree that their apparel is really good. I have a lot of their tshirts (collared and round neck), belts, sneakers and riding gear. Its all high quality stuff for sure.

I didnt know that Tata offers leather jackets and while looking it up, I came across their Tata International website where they say that they "manufacture an extensive range of leather products for premium lifestyle brands worldwide such as AlpineStars, Diesel, Flex, G III Apparel – Cole Haan and Nudie Jeans." That is impressive!

Originally Posted by aargee

Boss!! Neil!! Leather jacket!! That too in KL???

You can use the ventilated one in Kerala. And Madras. I am not too sure about the non ventilated one that I had returned though.

Originally Posted by RiderZone

Mods: Please ensure a tax is collected from Neil everytime he posts about buying new stuff. That money should be distributed amongst unfortunate souls like myself, who had no idea until this moment that they really, really need to buy a leather jacket.

Im glad that it is on your radar now!

Originally Posted by AtheK

My riding buddies up north should definitely get one till stocks last, and the time to wear them is almost here for you, so you can put it to it's paces for next 4-5 months.

Agree, usability up North will be far more than in the South.

Originally Posted by deepfreak15

Ill wait to see if they bring their Belstaff collection to our shores first. And you have to first buy a standalone armor system, I find your process of trying to match outer shells to currently owned inserts very restrictive- set yourself free buddy (You can put this one on me in case your home minister catches you browsing for standalone armor)

I too am excited for their new Belstaff collection. I need to get onboard with your standalone armour ideology. That does make riding gear shopping a lot easier. Right now Im too old fashioned.

Originally Posted by sunilch

Just read a bit on the care it may need to maintain the look for years to come. Moisture isn't a good friend of these and they may loose the shine soon in that case. But I guess you know that already and will do the needful.

Thanks sunilch. Yes, these leather products will need TLC. I have a leather condition that I have been using for my boots and gloves.

Originally Posted by sbanerjee

Love leather jackets. When in 1st year in college, my mother gave me a "Terminator Judgement Day" leather jacket, 25 years later, still using it. Got a question, why don't I see bikers use those? Agree, not functional as these Royal Enfield jackets, but I find the riding jackets I am talking about are extremely classy. The shopkeeper told me the leather used is extremely thick on those "Terminator" riding jackets, reason being if one slides during a crash, it protects the torso from cuts and abrasive wounds.

Originally Posted by AtheK

Because as a rider if I am going to wear leather, I would rather go all out and wear leather with full protection. A leather jacket maybe casually can be worn by people during winters for small runs, specially up north, but not a practical use down south.

sbanerjee, I agree with AtheK here. The other aspect to consider is that of timing. We havent had affordable leather jackets with inserts for armour available to us until now. Until now leather riding jackets have catered to a rich man's market. The good news is that the Indian motorcycling scene is slowly maturing and hopefully we see more riders with leather jackets and armour, in the months to come.

Originally Posted by AtheK

Neil, will await your long term review on this jacket to see how it fares in the hot days and longer riding hours, and also how do you plan to protect the leather in case it starts raining on the ride, though ultimately for the money you got it for, the latter is actually a moot point.

[Raghunath Singh]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

Who should or should not, look at a leather jacket?

Mesh jackets serve a particular purpose. As do touring jackets. But for out and out protection, nothing can come close to a leather jacket.

Similarly, I think Royal Enfield has another winner on its hands, with its range of leather jackets. For the price, these jackets are extremely high quality gear, and if you can justify having one in your wardrobe, you certainly wont regret it!

Excellent post Neil and thanks for all the details you have provided. I'm sure you have a treasure trove when it comes to jackets . I have a similar passion for jackets. As a hobbyist wildlife photographer my collection mostly caters to nature and winter needs. I bought my bike (Honda CB 350) recently and will be riding again after a gap of over 10 years, so pretty much out of sync on latest riding gears. You actually responded to one of my posts on Honda riding jacket on a different thread. I used my other leather jackets for short rides, must say they are good only for cold conditions. Will try the RE Spirit jacket for sure, looks cool. Had been to the RE store recently as I had to pick up riding gloves urgently. What an awesome experience it was, good quality stuff all around. Just that their branding is a bit loud. Almost bought the Explorer jacket, they did not have the right size. Recently bought a Revit Eclipse and understood the value of mesh jackets.

Thanks again and happy riding.

[silentstorm]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

Similarly, I think Royal Enfield has another winner on its hands, with its range of leather jackets. For the price, these jackets are extremely high quality gear, and if you can justify having one in your wardrobe, you certainly wont regret it!

What an excellent write up. Detailed and tantalising as usual. Always look forward to your posts.

[roy_libran]

Good thread! I am sucker for Leather (riding) Jackets, although I have never checked out a RE leather jacket. I currently own an old Joe Rocket (2 sizes too big since when I was much larger), and a more recent Triumph jacket, both leathers, apart from other riding jackets.

To share an old real life experience, back in 1998 I crashed into a tree with my Shogun past midnight, somewhere between Nagpur and Wardha. I was flung on one of the low branches of that tree which had some jagged edges. Thankfully I was wearing a good leather jacket, and apart from some bruises I didn't have any more injuries. And this wasn't even a riding jacket! I still have that jacket with me for keepsakes.